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Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard
Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard is the first chapter book of the Transformers: Robots in Disguise chapter book series. Synopsis Engaged in training, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Strongarm reflect on the fact that things have been quiet recently, though Bumblebee thinks the Decepticons are after something possibly as powerful as the AllSpark. Drift is currently away on an energon scouting mission and, according to Russell, Grimlock is sunning himself on a pile of cars. Sideswipe wakes Grimlock so that they can play lob-ball with Fixit, and by that he means Fixit is the ball. Fortunately Bumblebee manages to intercede just as Grimlock spikes Fixit like a football, and the Mini-Con is not too damaged. The game is eventually halted when Bumblebee uses an electromagnet to grab Sideswipe and Grimlock. Denny arrives to collect Russell so they can go buy some vintage pinball machines from his old friend Doug Castillo at an arcade near Crown City's amusement park. Under a bridge in a marsh, a vulturish Decepticon breaks out of his stasis pod, deposted there after the Alchemor crash. Denny and Russell arrive at Doug's Den where they load the pinball machines onto Denny's truck and start heading back to the scrapyard. They soon hit a traffic jam, which turns out to have been caused by the Decepticon who jumps onto Denny's pickup. Taking the truck offroad, Denny eventually manages to shake the Decepticon off, and they return to the scrapyard concerned as they haven't been able to contact Bumblebee. They find the Autobots lying in an exhausted pile following a proper game of lob-ball. When they hear a Decepticon's on the loose, the Autobots spring back into action, and Fixit checks the prisoner manifest. Russell and Denny are able to identify the Decepticon as Scuzzard, a Scavengebot whom Strongarm recalls laid waste to an industrial section of Kaon. The decision is made to use Sideswipe as bait, and they pinpoint Scuzzard, who is circling over Doug's Den. Leaving Grimlock at base with Fixit and the humans, the other Autobots soon reach Doug's Den, where Scuzzard is making a meal of the dumpster, and Sideswipe manages to get the Decepticon's attention. The chase is on, with Sideswipe leading Scuzzard into the woods, however he hasn't stuck to the plan, and as a consequence Bumblebee and Strongarm spend valuable time looking for him while he's at Scuzzard's tender mercy. As Scuzzard moves in to eat him, Sideswipe throws mud into his Decepticon's face, claiming it's a poison, and the Decepticon's distraction gives him time to find his comrades. Scuzzard soon catches up and though Bumblebee and Strongarm put up a fight, Scuzzard gets the better of them and prepares to stomp Bumblebee. A counterattack from Sideswipe results in Scuzzard going down for the count, and Bumblebee and Strongarm ensnare Scuzzard with nets from their neo-forges. Creeped out by Scuzzard's ranting, Strongarm renders him out-cold. Back at the scrapyard, Denny is repairing the surviving pinball machine. When Grimlock's rambunctiousness causes him problems, he suggests Grimlock go play football with Russell. Unfortunately this results in the clumsy Dinobot knocking over a stasis pod and inadvertently unleashing the Corvicon Filch, who immediately takes off. As the other Autobots head back to the scrapyard with an unconscious Scuzzard, Sideswipe apologises for messing up, and they receive a garbled message from base. They speed up, however with a cry of "SHINY!", Filch swoops down and makes off with their prisoner. The shell-shocked Autobots hurry back to base where they find the devastation wrought by Grimlock and explanations are given. While Fixit starts repairing the stasis pod, the other Autobots set to work on a plan to recapture the two avian Decepticons. Attracted by the bright lights, Filch takes Scuzzard to the amusement park, where the two Decepticons get into a fight over territory. The Autobots soon arrive and join in — Bumblebee and Strongarm are able to subdue and capture Filch with their neo-forges while Grimlock and Sideswipe take down Scuzzard by forcing him into some power lines. Drift arrives by Groundbridge to lend a hand, though the only remaining issue is getting Strongarm down, as she's hoisted into the air by the otherwise-captured Filch. Grimlock throws Bumblebee, and the combined weight of Bumblebee and Strongarm brings Filch back to earth. Doug emerges from his arcade in time to see the giant robots, but after they disappear through the Groundbridge, he puts it down to an hallucination caused by too much gaming. Back in the scrapyard, Filch again attempts to escape, knocking a tower of cars onto the Autobots. Drift sends his Mini-Cons after her while he helps Bumblebee and the others from under the pile, and the two Mini-Cons help Denny snare the Corvicon with his electromagnet. Once the two Decepticons are safely in stasis pods, Drift reports that he's indeed found energon, and Grimlock takes a nap. Featured characters Autobots * Bumblebee * Sideswipe * Strongarm * Fixit * Grimlock * Drift * Jetstorm * Slipstream Decepticons * Scuzzard * Filch Humans * Russell Clay * Denny Clay * Doug Castillo Quotes "Okay, team. Let's cruise down to bruisetown!" : —'Bumblebee' makes another attempt at a rallying cry. "I love it when they play hard to eat." : —'Scuzzard' chasing Sideswipe. "Aw, yeah! Team Bee always brings the buzz!" : —'Sideswipe' "SHINY! For my collection!" : —'Filch' goes after the Mini-Cons. Notes Continuity notes * The Autobots possess a GroundBridge and Drift is part of the team, indicating the episode takes place after "One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing". * Russell mentions that Hank and Butch, first seen in "More than Meets the Eye", are going away with their families for spring break. * This and "Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof" imply Grimlock was a big-name lob-ball player back on Cybertron. * The Autobots compare Scuzzard to Underbite, who was introduced in "Pilot (Part 1)" * Sideswipe swears by Solus Prime. * Filch was previously introduced in "Collect 'Em All". * Filch is confirmed to be a Corvicon, a name mentioned in "True Colors" but previously not connected to Filch. * The statue featured in "Collect 'Em All" is also given a name, the Crown City Colossus. Real world references * From the descriptions, the pinball machines Denny buys are Indiana Jones themed. Doug's Den also includes Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. video games, though they similarly go unnamed. Trivia * The Autobots all wield weapons named "neo-forges", but from the description they're what's referred to in the show as Decepticon Hunters. * Scuzzard claims to have a "Mama-bot", raising questions about how reproduction works in the Aligned continuity family. Category:Books